owner Merritt Paulson had a difficult task in 2009 as he tried to persuade the Portland City Council to approve a financing plan to renovate the city's stadium and help bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Portland.

Paulson predicted an MLS franchise at what is now Jeld-Wen Field would "revitalize an area ripe for redevelopment and showcase this city to the nation and the world."

The area around Jeld-Wen Field remains a work in progress. But the Timbers' off-field success unquestionably has showcased the city. In fact, the question today is not whether the Timbers can succeed, but whether the Timbers can help elevate soccer in the United States and help Portland attract more major sporting events.

This week provided evidence of the team's growing influence. The Portland Thorns, the Timbers-backed entry in the

The Northwest has become the heart of American soccer. And Portland, with a downtown stadium custom-designed for soccer and a fan base that other teams try to emulate, has become the MLS postcard franchise -- despite the team's inability to make the playoffs.

Skeptics aside, it always was a good bet that MLS would be a hit in Portland. The bigger question was whether the league could grow enough to ensure long-term success. After all, the original 1970s incarnation of the Timbers faded mostly because the North American Soccer League collapsed, not because Portland turned away from soccer.

The question this time around is whether soccer's success in Portland, Seattle and a handful of other MLS cities will spread across the nation -- something that didn't happen for the NASL. And that's why the National Women's Soccer League is important.

The NWSL is the latest attempt to establish a viable women's professional league, something that has been difficult in any sport in the United States. At least two other women's soccer leagues have failed in just the past 15 years. The only strictly North American women's league to achieve long-term survival has been the WNBA basketball league, which has substantial support from the deep-pocketed NBA.

Despite the history of women's professional soccer and a league structure that puts some personnel decisions in the hands of U.S. Soccer, Paulson decided to invest in a Portland franchise. "Merritt felt it was just the right thing to do for the sport," said

Portland quickly responded, with fans buying more than 6,000 season tickets -- more than the Major League Baseball Miami Marlins had sold as of late February. Golub said the ticket buyers are a mix of Timbers ticket holders and others. With supportive fan bases like the one in Portland and

and the comparable organizations in Mexico and Canada, the league has a better chance at success than its predecessors did.

CONCACAF's first Gold Cup matches in Portland offer further evidence of the city's growing stature in the sport. But they also represent the economic impact of the Timbers.

The Gold Cup is the premier national team tournament for North and Central America. The doubleheader at Jeld-Wen Field will bring four teams -- the United States, Belize, Cuba and Costa Rica -- as well as media and fans to Portland. Because of their ability to draw out-of-town visitors, events such as the Gold Cup pack extra economic punch.

CEO Drew Mahalic, national TV coverage of the Timbers and events such as the Gold Cup provide free advertising for Portland and have helped the city and state develop a niche as national leader for sports such as soccer, track and field and cycling.

Though those sports lack the tradition and marketing clout of football, baseball and basketball, Mahalic noted they fit well with the young generation that already sees Portland as a desirable place to live. "It's really almost our DNA, fingerprint or whatever you want to call it," he said.

Mahalic would like to make the NCAA's women's or men's College Cup, soccer's Final Four conclusion to its championship tournament, one of the next big events to choose Portland.

Whatever the next step for soccer in Portland is, it will give the city another chance to put on its game face and impress the nation.